Fabric for micrometeoroid protection garment

ABSTRACT

A structure of fabric layers is arranged so as to eliminate heat shorts therethrough and comprises a plurality of individually grouped layers, each layer consisting of stacked fabrics. Each of the layers of stacked fabrics is stitched together in quiltlike fashion to form a unitary or integral body. The layers are laid one upon another in offset stitch manner, that is, with the stitch lines of each fabric being disposed intermediate the stitch line of the adjacent fabric so as to avoid a common heat transfer avenue through all layers.

United States Patent Richard S. Johnston Seabrook, Tex. 889,376

[ 72] Inventor [21 Appl. No.

[ 22] Filed Dec. 31, 1969 [45 Patented Feb. 16, 1971 [73] Assignee TheUnited States of America as represented by the Administrator of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration [54] FABRIC FORMICROMETEOROID PROTECTION GARMENT 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl112/402, 2/275, 2/81 [51] Int. Cl. D05b 93/00 [50] Field of Search 112/402,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,306,518 6/1919 Briones112/420 2,353,984 7/1944 Barone 2/275X 2,831,198 4/1958 Datlof.....112/420X 3,090,047 5/1963 DeGrazia 2/82X 3,303,515 2/1967 Lash 2/275X3,449,764 6/1969 DeFazio et a1 2/82X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,262,014 4/1961France 2/2 902,468 8/1962 Great Britain 1 12/420 Primary Examiner.lamesR. Boler Attorneys-W. A. Marcontell, Marvin F. Matthews and G. T.

McCoy ABSTRACT: A structure of fabric layers is arranged so as toeliminate heat shorts therethrough and comprises a plurality ofindividually grouped layers, each layer consisting of stacked fabrics.Each of the layers of stacked fabrics is stitched together in quiltlikefashion to form a unitary or integral body. The layers are laid one uponanother in offset stitch manner, that is, with the stitch lines of eachfabric being disposed intermediate the stitch line of the adjacentfabric so as to avoid a common heat transfer avenue through all layers.

Pat ented Feb. 16, 1971 N ST NW Z 5 M 0 d R M m m A TTORNE Yfi FABRICFOR MICROMETEOROIID pno'rsc'rron GARMENT The invention described hereinwas made by an employee of the United States Government and may bemanufactured BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relatesto improvements in fabric seam construction, and more particularlypertains to the production of multilayered materials for use in thermalprotection garments. The utilization of protective clothing for personsoperating in hostile environments frequently requires multilayer fabricsof various materials since individual or single layer fabrics cannotadequately protect the wearer. Thus it t is common to find, in firefighters garments for example, multiple layer fabrics and multiplecourse stitching. The layers in such garments are commonly affixed toone another at a common point or at predetermined points in order torender shape to the garment. Otherwise inner or intermediate layerswould slide away from one another making the garment difficult to drawon and sometimes cumbersome to work in. A most significant disadvantageof this prior art multilayer-single stitch construction technique,particularly in heat protective garments, is that it producescompression of the garment layers along the stitching line. Suchcompression reduces substantially the necessary spacing between layerswhich normally enhances the thermal insulating properties. Compressionof the layers at the stitch area therefore-produces a heat-short in thethermal insulating structure. Also, unitary seaming of all the layersproduces increased tensile loads on the individual seams since theycarry greater loads, and results in exposure of the unitary structuralseam to potential abrasion, corrosion from heat or wear and hencepossible failure, the result of which would be separation of all layersof the garment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention obviates all of theaforementioned disadvantages disclosed in the prior art by providing aninexpensive method and structure which will effectively seal offtemperature shorts that develop at tacking points, stitches, and seamsin protective garments. The concept and structure described hereinafterfor this purpose is exemplified by the use of materials which makes theresultant structure particularly adaptable for use by an astronautoperating in an environment requiring not only thermal insulation butalso micrometeoroid protection. It should be readily apparent, however,that the stitching and structural concept herein may be applied tomaterials other than'those mentioned. Fire fighters garments representbut one of such other uses.

Briefly, the invention obviates the common heat short inherent in priorart garments by eliminating the stitch which is common to all layers andby removing external exposure of any stitch to the hostile environment.This is clone first by stitching the laminae of component layers and bytacking said layers to one another with the stitches of each offset orstaggered with respect to its adjacent layer. Additionally a uniqueoverlap arrangement of the surface layer then eliminates the exposure ofthe tacking stitch. As a result no single stitch or tack goes throughthe whole assembly, thereby effectively eliminating heat shorts in thegarment in which it is used. These and numerous other features andadvantages of the present invention become readily apparent upon areading of the following detailed description, claims and drawingswherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTIQN or THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view showing layuporder of the various laminae.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective cross section through a typical fabriclayup and stitching arrangement embodying the invention.

2 DETAILED DESCRIPTION With reference now to the drawings there is showna material assembly for a thermal micrometeoroid protection garmentembodying the invention and which serves as both a heat andmicrometeoroid barrier for astronauts space suits. It will be recognizedthat the illustrated construction constitutes but one of numerousidentical sections through an entire garment.

The thermal and micrometeoroid protection garment consists of a firstlayer group 3(a) and a second layer group 3(b) each of such groups beingcomposed of identical multilaminae of materials which are chosen fortheir particular insulating and protective characteristics. It is notunusual, for example, for each of the layers to have as many as eight ormore individual material laminae. As best shown in FIG. 1, the layers3(a), 3(b) are disposed in intermediate'manner between the upper andlower surface layers 5(a) and 5(b), respectively. The layers 5(a), 5(b)are likewise composed of a plurality of materials or laminae chosen fortheir particular insulative or protective characteristics. The laminaein each of the layers are physically connected to one another by meansof tacking stitches 7. The stitches in each layer unitize the laminae toform the layer by being arranged to form a quiltlike pattern ofstitching throughout. When each of the layers is unitized in this mannera completed piece of surface layer 5(b) is disposed on a table and innerlayer 3th) positioned thereover accomplished in both longitudinal andlateral directions as shown in FIG. 2. Layer 5(b) is then similarlypositioned. After the layers 5(a), 3(a), 3(b), and 5(b) have been laidone upon the other as shown in FIG. 1, a stitching seam 9 is runentirely through the structure in order to integrally connect the layersto one another. The seam 9 thus constitutes the sole structuralconnection between the layers. In order to remove the seam 9 fromexposure to the hostile and/or heated environment ll,

the upper layer 5(a) and inner layer 3(a) are unfolded from layers 3(b)and 5(b) as shown in FIG. 2. In this way it is seen that although eachof the laminae are connected to form respective layers, the stitchingthereof precludes a heat short from the hostile environment 11 to theprotected environment 13. At the same time the laminae themselves arenevertheless connected and arranged in such manner as to remove theconnection (9) from exposure to the hostile environment.

In order to still further insure against a heat short through the stitch9, the under side of the stitch or seam joint is covered with a strip ofmaterial 15 which consists of seven layers of Kapton and seven layers ofmarquisette. Kapton, a DuPont trade name, is a polyimide characterizedby its nonflammability in air and its minimally flammable nature inoxygen. The interior surface of the strip 15 is characterized by analuminized or reflective coating 15in). The marquisette material 15(b)is positioned on the external side of the insulative strip or tape15(a). The marquisette preferably consists of a weave of Fiberglasthreads which are adapted to serve primarily as spacers for thematerials on either side thereof. The entire strip 15 is preferablycemented to the under side of layer 5(b) at the points 15(c) and l5(d).Still further protection is acquired by use of a bladder layer 19 whichis disposed over strip 15 and similarly cemented along its terminaledges to the layers 5(a) and-5(b). The primary function of such bladderlayer is merely to protect the strip 15 from abrasion and/or tearing.

It is obvious that many modifications and variations of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings. For instance,the seam structure may be used for many things besides garments whereinthe number of laminae per layer may be changed without variation in theinvention. Still further, it is clear that the surface area sizes of thelayers between the connecting scams 9 may be varied in accordance withthe particular type of garment and/or the area on the garment at whichthe seam occurs. it is therefore to be understood that the spirit of theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically describedwithout departing from the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. The method of assembling a plurality of layers of thermallyinsulative materials so as to prepare a wearable garment therefromhaving substantially no heat leaks at the seams thereof comprising:

laying out a first stack of laminae so as to form a first layer,

tacking together the laminae of said stack so as to unitize said layer,

positioning and tacking additional stacks of laminae so as to formadditional unitized layers,

positioning said layers, one on top of another with the tacking of eachlayer disposed in offset relation with respect to the taking of adjacentlayers,

sewing all said layers together with a common stitch,

separating at least the uppermost layer and folding it over said commonstitch so as to cover the outer exposed surface of the stitch, and vcovering the inner surface of the stitch with a heat insulating strip ofmaterial.

2. An article of manufacture for effectively precluding heat shortstherethrough comprising:

a plurality of layers of protective material disposed in surfaceadjacent relation to one another and secured together by first seammeans along a common edge portion thereof to form a layered component ofthe article having first and second face sides,

each of said layers comprising a series of fabric laminae connectedtogether by tacking stitches sewn through each layer at points regularlydistributed over the surface thereof so that each of said layers becomesa unitary component of the article,

adjacent layers of said layered component being selectively positionedwhereby the tacking stitches of one layer is laterally ofiset relativeto the tacking stitches of an adjacent layer so as to thereby obstructthe conductive transfer of heat by said tacking stitches through saidlayered component,

at least one surface layer of said layered component first face sidebeing folded up and over said seam means so as to constitute a layer fora substantially identical layered component and connectedthereto by asecond seam means thereby concealing said first seam means from saidfirst face side, and

elongate strip means having one longitudinal edge secured to the secondface side layer of said layered component and the other longitudinaledge secured to the second face side of said folded over layer therebycovering the second face side of said seam means to insulate same fromthe conductive transfer of heat through said seam between said first andsecond face side.

3. The article of claim 2 wherein said elongate strip has a reflectivecoating thereon.

1. The method of assembling a plurality of layers of thermallyinsulative materials so as to prepare a wearable garment therefromhaving substantially no heat leaks at the seams thereof comprising:laying out a first stack of laminae so as to form a first layer, tackingtogether the laminae of said stack so as to unitize said layer,positioning and tacking additional stacks of laminae so as to formadditional unitized layers, positioning said layers, one on top ofanother with the tacking of each layer disposed in offset relation withrespect to the taking of adjacent layers, sewing all said layerstogether with a common stitch, separating at least the uppermost layerand folding it over said common stitch so as to cover the outer exposedsurface of the stitch, and covering the inner surface of the stitch witha heat insulating strip of material.
 2. An article of manufacture foreffectively precluding heat shorts therethrough comprising: a pluralityof layers of protective material disposed in surface adjacent relationto one another and secured together by first seam means along a commonedge portion thereof to form a layered component of the article havingfirst and second face sides, each of said layers comprising a series offabric laminae connected together by tacking stitches sewn through eachlayer at points regularly distributed over the surface thereof so thateach of said layers becomes a unitary component of the article, adjacentlayers of said layered component being selectively positioned wherebythe tacking stitches of one layer is laterally offset relative to thetacking stitches of an adjacent layer so as to thereby obstruct theconductive transfer of heat by said tacking stitches through saidlayereD component, at least one surface layer of said layered componentfirst face side being folded up and over said seam means so as toconstitute a layer for a substantially identical layered component andconnected thereto by a second seam means thereby concealing said firstseam means from said first face side, and elongate strip means havingone longitudinal edge secured to the second face side layer of saidlayered component and the other longitudinal edge secured to the secondface side of said folded over layer thereby covering the second faceside of said seam means to insulate same from the conductive transfer ofheat through said seam between said first and second face side.
 3. Thearticle of claim 2 wherein said elongate strip has a reflective coatingthereon.